JEMS Youth Ambassdors hone skills at weekend retreat

Twenty JEMS Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living from 10 different villages gathered at the Mt. Coke Christian Education Centre for a two-day retreat, March 27 – 28, to increase their knowledge of HIV and AIDS, and to hone group, presentation and leadership skills.{{more}}

Organized in October 2009, the focus of the group of youth and young adults is on HIV and AIDS education, training and prevention, with the goal of keeping themselves and others healthy. Beyond HIV and AIDS education, participants are trained in life skills including personal development, group dynamics, teamwork, and leadership.

The two-day retreat comprised the fourth and fifth training days the young people have attended since October. Additionally, they have appeared at two public events, presenting the ABCs of HIV/AIDS prevention (Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use) through drama and poetry at the JEMS World AIDS Day Rally at Diamond on Dec. 1, and appearing at the JEMS/SEDI/LIME poster exhibition and pan performance in front of the LIME offices in Kingstown on March 13.

Retreat leaders included JEMS president Rhonda Lee, Projects Promotion’s managing director Cecil Ryan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Mobilization Rosita Snagg, drama instructor Yohance Gibson, youth and community development specialist Andre Liverpool, and HIV/AIDS educators Roseclair Charles and Sydney Joseph.

In addition to the workshop sessions, the agenda included an early morning walk to Rawacou and attendance at the Palm Sunday workshop service at Mt. Coke Methodist Church.

In remarks to the Mt. Coke congregation, JEMS president Rhonda Lee congratulated the young people for choosing to be at the retreat rather than any of the other possible activities available to them this first weekend of their school term break. Lee also talked about the difficult work of the Youth Ambassadors in their roles as peer counselors and positive lifestyles models. She further called on the members of the congregation for their encouragement of the young people, along with their prayers.

In evaluating the weekend retreat, participants gave especially high marks to the food which was planned and prepared by JEMS members Rosemary Sayers, Annetta Jackson, Bernard Sayers and Dave Scipio, with many other JEMS members and ambassadors assisting with kitchen duties.

The JEMS Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living program is part of a year-long project funded by a grant from the United States Peace Corps and USAID. The weekend retreat was co-sponsored by Projects Promotion, Ltd., and the Community Development Division, with support from the SVG National AIDS Secretariat.